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Author Topic: SSPX Priest Backpedals on Kauffman Case  (Read 15558 times)

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Re: SSPX Priest Backpedals on Kauffman Case
« Reply #55 on: March 08, 2021, 11:59:30 PM »
All the laity are asking for is that authorities punish the guilty in such a way that the people do not have to endure offenders again. Facilitators should share the same fate. St. Gerard was denied communion for years and although he wasn't guilty, at least we had Church authorities proving zero tolerance for scandal once existed. Seems to me that recycling after punishment is a bad idea.   

As I recall the story, a girl accused him of improprieties. He didn't say anything, so the superior (St. Alphonse himself, I think) felt forced to consider him guilty. I think he was denied communion for less than a year. His confessor knew the truth. Then the girl started dying (of tuberculosis?) and repented and publicly recanted. The superior asked St. Gerard why he didn't say anything, and he pointed to a part of the rule saying a Redemptorist could not defend himself. Supposedly, that rule was amended due to St. Gerard.

Re: SSPX Priest Backpedals on Kauffman Case
« Reply #56 on: March 09, 2021, 01:05:39 AM »
While I disagree with your wholehearted endorsement of Voris (a ɧoɱosɛҳųαƖ himself) and Niles, who have an ax to grind against Traditional Catholicism in general, I must say that the Urrutigoity episode stinks to high heaven.

I started at STAS in the late Summer of 1989, so shortly after Fr. Morello's visit and expulsion.  I and several others noticed that Urrutigoity practically ran the place.  Not only that, but he maintained some very strong particular friendships with a few close seminarians and had an almost cult-like following among a small clique of them.  He tried to recruit me into his inner circle, but I wasn't interested.  I wasn't really interested in any particular friendships, being more of an introvert, so I stayed out of it.  I was there for God.  Maybe I'm even a touch anti-social, but in any case, I had no interest in their group.

Nevertheless, I never understood the appeal of Urrutigoity.  He wasn't some kind of great theological genius.  I actually considered him somewhat worldly and rather taken with the aesthetics of the Mass, including his promotion of these ankle-length lace surplices.  I found them extremely effeminate and wanted nothing to do with them, comparing them in my mind to women's lingerie.  I continued wearing the standard-issue solid one that went to my knees.

One time, when most of the priests were away on their mission circuit, Urrutigoity hatched a scheme to implement some liturgical innovations, including having women in the choir area and also introducing "troped" Kyries (which practice was rejected at the time of the Council of Trent).  Well, Fr. Bourmaud, a seminary professor (whom I liked very much, a very kind and gentle soul ... we would get into it comparing France and the U.S.) returned earlier than expected from his mission circuit.  I complained to him about these things, and he rightly intervened and shut Urrutigoity down.

Urrutigoity also seemed very much into wine.  Jumping ahead, after his ordination, he was notorious for using an unusually large amount of wine for the Mass ... to the point that most priests would probably get rather intoxicated from drinking it.  And outside of Mass he was known to imbibe generously as well.

There was one hike at the seminary where Urrutigoity showed a film to the seminarians on the bus to the location, the film being of an an opera.  Thankfully, I rode up separately because I had some work that I needed to do before I could leave.  Some seminarians reported to me that Urrutigoity had caused scandal because the movie he showed contained nudity.  Those who complained he made fun of as Jansenists.  Can you say "grooming"?

Had I known about the accusations against Urrutigoity, I would immєdιαtely have suspected this behavior, his particular friendships (against which, especially, Fr. Morello had warned), his overall effeminacy and worldliness, as linked to ɧoɱosɛҳųαƖity.  But this went unnoticed by Bishop Williamson, who had all the facts of the allegations?  In fact, I marveled that at times Bishop Williamson sought Urrutigoity's advice about various matters.  Again, I saw nothing all that special about the guy.  I had much more respect for the likes of Fr. Goettler and Fr. Bourmaud.

So, while I was there, I was inducted into the so-called "St. Pius X" schola, or singing group.  They had these "scholas" there so that the work of preparing for and singing the chant at the seminary could be rotated among the groups.  St. Pius X schola was considered the top one for the best singers.  Now, I have a tenor / baritone voice, but can reach higher pitches in a falsetto.  So one Christmas, Urrutigoity wanted us to perform Handel's Messiah.  Of course, there are soprano voices in that, so he had an arrangement which rewrote some of those for tenors singing in falsetto.  Well, guess what, I and some others were asked to sing those parts.  I complied out of a spirit of obedience, but I felt like a fag the entire time.  In retrospect, I guess that Urrutigoity found it stimulating.

So, about halfway through my second year, I started to become inclined toward sedevacantism.  I spent many hours on walks with Bishop Williamson discussing my concerns. Unfortunately, his answers were mostly personal attacks against The Nine and some stuff about how these theologians I cited could simply not have foreseen the crisis.  But, asked him, "But don't the principles still apply?"  He didn't have an answer.  I really loved it there and didn't want to leave.  I was in fact looking for any reason that I could stay, but was given none.  So I left.  After I left, I corresponded a little with Archbishop Lefebvre (received a hand-written letter in response).  I wrote him in Latin, not knowing French, and he responded in French ... which I deciphered with the aid of a dictionary.  I also corresponded with Bishop Williamson, who referred me to write to ... you guessed it, Urrutigoity, evidently the resident theological expert there.  I honestly didn't think he was all that bright.  And, yet, even before he was ordained, he taught these informal evening classes ... acting as if he was a professor there.

So the year I left was the year that Urrutigoity was scheduled to be ordained to the priesthood.  I went to his ordination and congratulated him there.  He told me then that he would offer his first Mass for me.  I was very moved by that.  But then I found out later that he said the same thing to someone else as well.

Fr. Urrutigoity then, despite, IMO, not being all that bright, was appointed a professor at STAS.  My brother Steve entered the seminary and spent 4 years there (he received all the Minor Orders).  But then something happened.  He went to Bishop Williamson to complain that Fr. Urrutigoity was a Modernist.  Next thing you know, Steve was exiled from STAS and sent to St. Mary's to "think things over" regarding his vocation.  Once at St. Mary's he became so discouraged that he simply left.  Steve also had information that Fr. Urrutigoity was leaking details from spiritual direction he was giving seminarians to Bishop Williamson.  Spiritual Direction, while not strictly under the Confessional seal, was still supposed to be kept confidential by an extension of the seal.

After all that, we now hear that Bishop Williamson is accused of harboring another accused ɧoɱosɛҳųαƖ predator in London.  What are we to make of that?  It's one thing to get fooled once, but to get fooled again? (to quote the immortal George W. Bush).
"Father Urrutigoity" — two words that should've never happened. The fact that he even got anywhere farther than a month in is a colossal misstep on the part of the Society of St. Pius X.


Offline Tradman

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Re: SSPX Priest Backpedals on Kauffman Case
« Reply #57 on: March 09, 2021, 10:08:05 AM »
As I recall the story, a girl accused him of improprieties. He didn't say anything, so the superior (St. Alphonse himself, I think) felt forced to consider him guilty. I think he was denied communion for less than a year. His confessor knew the truth. Then the girl started dying (of tuberculosis?) and repented and publicly recanted. The superior asked St. Gerard why he didn't say anything, and he pointed to a part of the rule saying a Redemptorist could not defend himself. Supposedly, that rule was amended due to St. Gerard.
So much to learn from the saints. Thanks. 

Re: SSPX Priest Backpedals on Kauffman Case
« Reply #58 on: March 13, 2021, 10:59:28 AM »
In spite of the fact that Urrotigoity and Francis Palmquist were known to be ɧoɱosɛҳųαƖs, or inclined in that direction, by seminary hierarchy and seminarians alike, they were both appointed to be professors at STAS.  Can anyone explain this, except, maybe, that Voris had a ɧoɱosɛҳųαƖ past himself, which disqualified him?  Because of his own history, the thinking seems to go, he apparently had no right to make these facts known publicly.  Better, perhaps, that SSPX-friendly figures, like Michael Matt, or Chris Ferrara, or deceased John Vennari, or John Henry Weston, should have revealed the truth earlier.  But none of them did.

Offline Meg

Re: SSPX Priest Backpedals on Kauffman Case
« Reply #59 on: March 13, 2021, 12:06:26 PM »
In spite of the fact that Urrotigoity and Francis Palmquist were known to be ɧoɱosɛҳųαƖs, or inclined in that direction, by seminary hierarchy and seminarians alike, they were both appointed to be professors at STAS.  Can anyone explain this, except, maybe, that Voris had a ɧoɱosɛҳųαƖ past himself, which disqualified him?  Because of his own history, the thinking seems to go, he apparently had no right to make these facts known publicly.  Better, perhaps, that SSPX-friendly figures, like Michael Matt, or Chris Ferrara, or deceased John Vennari, or John Henry Weston, should have revealed the truth earlier.  But none of them did.

You say that Francis Palmquist was known to be a ɧoɱosɛҳųαƖ by seminary hierarchy and seminarians alike. How do you know this to be true? Please be specific.